Helen Marie Perrin
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, to an Irish immigrant father, Patrick Francis Lande, and German mother, Hilda Hughes Lande, Helen Marie Lande Perrin spent 45 years in Brownwood and considered herself a native. Known for her intelligence and wit, she was valedictorian at Saint Saviour High School in Brooklyn, received a B.A in History (Summa cum Laude) from Saint Joseph’s University in Brooklyn, completed a summer fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, received an M.A. in Education and an M.A. in Psychology (both Summa cum Laude) from Saint Joseph’s University, and also pursued a PhD in Psychology. Helen ranked first out of 500 teachers in the 1956 Five-Part Competitive Examination for Permanent Tenure among High School Teachers of Social Studies in New York City and also placed first in a similar examination for junior high school teachers.